Oscillating washer



June 17, 1930. 'D.BEI .L 1,7 3,644

OSCILLATING WASHER Filed April 4, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet June 17, 1930. QBELL 1,763,644 O SCILLATING WASHER v Filed April 4, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 17,1930, Dam. I [1,763,644

osc'ILLA TINe wgsrma 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April. 4-, 1927 uE IE th t...

I DANIEL BELL, Uh GHEfiAG-G,

initiators, assrenon ro ni'vrnreman Lemmas neuin KENT 60., 6F OHIGAGQ, ELLHQTGIS, A GQ'RPQEATIGN @IE' IL LINGIS @ECIIILATING WfirfiEEE application filed April 52,-

' This invention relates to a washing machine of the oscillating type and it is an object of this invention to provide such a machine embodying a plurality of tubs which 5 are simultaneously operated in a novel manner, and means for simultaneously draining said tubs, which means is' not rendered effective by the oscillations of the tubs.

The invention comprises the novel structure and combination of parts hereinafter,

described and more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar featuresin the dif-- ferent views;

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the washing machine involving t is invention.

Fi re 2 is a reduced left hand end elevationa view of thesmachine.

Figure 3 is a reduced righthand end elevational view of the machine. v

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substan 25 tially upon the line IV-IV of Figure 5 with parts in elevation.

Fi ure 5 is a part sectional and part elevationa view of the machine; the section being taken in a vertical plane.

Fi re 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sections view taken in a vertical lane through the lower portion of the left and end tub illustrating the drain valve and operating means therefor. L

Fi re 7 is an-enlarged framentary sections view illustratingthe oscillating drive for the tubs. v V y Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary'part sectional and partelevational view showing 40 the drain valve'o ratin mechanism taken upon the line of Figure 5. Y

. i re .9\is a sectional view upon thealine mof \Figure 5.

' Figure 10 is an enlar d sectional view. taken upon the line X- of Figure 6. s As shown on the drawings: 7

Referring to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of this invention, it will be noted that the machine is supported upon a suitable base structure which consists the door, the a rear. semi no. leases.

of spaced leg members 1. Each leg memher i is bifurcated at its bottom to provide separate feet 2. Between the leg members 1 there extend a pair of channel bars 3 which are fastenedv to the bottom of the leg mem- E5 bers. This base structure supports the various parts of the machine as will later more full appear.

T e wash tubs, which are three in number and which are represented by the references W A,B, and G, are supported upon an oscillatable cradlegenerally denoted b the reference 4 and which cradle is provid ed with end trurinions 5 (Figures 5 and 6) 'swiveled in the end members This cradle consists of a $5 number of parts which will be. more fully described. The cradle 4 comprises the end castings or brackets 4 (Figures 2-and 3) upon which the aforementioned trunnions 5 are formed. A pair of parallel and longitu- W dinally extending an le members 6 connect the two castings, and these angle members 6 carry castings 7, one beneath each tub. The general transverse configurations ofthe castings are best shown in Figures 4 and 7 W and in referring'to said figures, it will benoted that each casting 7 has a pair ofvright angles. 8 inits bottom for fittmg over-the longitudinal angles 6. The depending flanges of the an les 6 are bolted or secured to the castin he base of eachright angle 8 is provide with an upwardly sloping arm 9 provided with a In 10 for a. purpose that will later appear. T ese castings 7 are also provided with horizontal portions 11 upon which the tubs rest.

Each tub is oblongin cross sectionand '18 provided with a hinged door 13 at its top. Adjacent the u per and lower margins of d iacent e es of the tubs are 9' provided with ears 14 (F1 ure 1) whereb a pair of ears are formed etween the tu s. A metal strap or band 15 is secured at one end to each pair of ears 14 by a suitable bolt. The other end of each strfipis provided with 5 an outstanding lug 16 igure 4) which is adj ustably boltedto one of t e lugs 10. These straps serve to anchor the tubs to the cradle.

The longitudinal configuration of the cast- 7 are shown inFigure 6. It be noted that the portion 17 under the tub has a dished shaped contour which is provided with an opening 18 to a valve housing 19 which is integrally formed with the casting 7. A hollow conical valve 20 is adapted to rotate in this housing for controlling the inlet port 18. The valve housing 19- at its discharge end communicates with a drain pipe 21. cylindrical sealing member 22 rotatably mounted in the drain pipe 21 is attached to the end of the valve housing to convey the fluid from the valve housing to the drain pipe. The bottom of the tub is perforated above the dished portion, as indicated at 23, to allowthe washing fluid to drain into the valve.

The axis of the valve 20'lies in the. axis of the end trunnions 5 which is the pivot axis about which the tubs oscillate and may be termed theaxis of oscillation. It will be understood that each of the tubs is provided with such a drain valve and they all have a common axis which lies in the axis of the end trunnions of the cradle or the axis of oscillation. Consequently, during the oscillations of the wash tubs, the sealing member 22 will rotate and oscillate in its bearing in the drain pi e.

llll the drain yalves are adapted to be simultaneously operated to their open or closed position by a manually rotatable shaft 24 at one end of the machine. This shaft is provided with a transverse operating handle 25 at its upper end. In order to support the shaft 24, it is journaled at its lower end in a hollow casing 26 attached to the leg member 1. The upper end of the shaft 24 extends through a free block 27 which is held in position by a pair of parallel rods 28 secured at their lower ends in the hollow housing 26. The upper ends of the rods 28 extend into the free block 27, one being located upon each side of the shaft 24-.

The lower end of the aforesaid shaft 24 has a beveled pinion 29 (Figure 65) secured thereon. This pinion meshes with a beveled gear 30 pinned on a shaft 31 which is journaled in the trunnion 5 of the end bracket 4 and extends therethrough. The inner end of the shaft 31 is provided with an arm 32 having a laterally projecting lug 33 adapted during rotation of the shaft 31 for engaging a somewhat similar lug 34 on a bifurcated arm or crank 35 which is secured to a stem on the valve 20. A link 37 is connected at one end between the bifurcated parts of arm 35. The other end of this link 37 is connected to a crank arm 38 (Figure 8) secured to a shaft 39 which is journaled in the casting 7 and extends therebeyond to the valve in the tub C.

The valve in the intermediate tub B and the valve in the right end tub C are simultaneously operated with the first valve in the tub A through suitable connections with the shaft 39. The form of connection is shown in Figure 8 and in referring to said figure it will be observed that there is a crank arm 38 on the shaft 39 adjacent each of said valves, which is connected by a link 37 with the bifurcated crank 35 on the valve stem.

During the oscillations of the tubs the shaft 39 will, of course, be sub'ect to oscillations,

A but the valves 20 will not e actuated for the reason that they also oscillate with the tubs. It is the valve arms 35 that cause the oscillation of the shaft 39, which merely rotate in accordance with the oscillator movement of the valve with its housing. owever, when the tubs are at rest the rotation of the shaft 24 will rotate the first valve and cause the rotation of shaft 39 which through the crank arms 38, links 37, and arms 35 will actuate the other valves in the tubs B and C.

The mechanism for oscillating the cradle that supports the tubs is shown in Figures 5 and 7 and the same consists of a motor 40 which is secured on a platform 41 secured to one leg member 1. The motor shaft is geared to a spur gear 42 (Figure 5) secured upon a shaft 43 journaled in the end leg member 1. The inner end of the shaft 43 is ournaled in a gear casing 44 on the angle members 3 and carries a beveled pinion 45 within the gear casing. The pinion 45 meshes with a horizontal gear 46 journaled upon a stub shaft 47 secured in the bottom wall of the casing. An obliquely arranged shaft 48 is fixed at its lower end in an inclined socket 49 in the body of the gear 46. This shaft extends through a circular opening 50 in the top of the gear casing and through a radial slot 51 in a rotatable disk 52 journaled upon the end of the shaft 47. This disk serves to close the circular opening 50 in the top of the gear casing and protect the gear. The upper end of the shaft 48 is secured to a yoke 53, the ends of which are journaled or pivoted upon a shaft 54, the ends of which are secured in suitable bosses on the adjacent casting 7.

It will be obvious that as the gear 46 is rotated it will carry the shaft 48 therewith, the pivotal connection of the yoke 53 on shaft 54 allowing the lower end of shaft 48 to bodily move in the arc of a circle. The rotation of the gear 46 will consequently cause the cradle and pubs thereon to oscillate as shown in Figure Hot and cold water may be simultaneously supplied to the tubs through a supply pipe 56 (Figure 5) which. has a lower horizontal leg or bend 57 which is retained in a suitable packing 58. This horizontal bend is rotatably coupled to a pipe line 59 (Figure 1) extending alon one side of the tubs and suitably attached t ereto. This pipe line is provided with suitable faucets 60 extending into the various tubs. As the tubs are oscillated,

the pipe line 59 which oscillates with the tubs will rotate relatively to the horizontal bend 57 on the supply pipe 56.

y I the patent granted hereon,

necessitated by the prior art.

Each door 13 of the different tubs is adapted to be latched in closed position by a rotatable latch 61 which engages under suitable lugs 62 on the top of the tubs. These rotatable latches are each provided 63 which may be brought'into registry with the lockinglugs for the purpose of unlatch- .ing the door. -The doors and tubs ma he 10 provided with coacting stops 64 and 65 w come into abutting relation when the'doors are opened for supporting the same in open position. From the foregoing, it will be apparent that a novel washing machine involvmg a plurality of separate tubs simultane ously operable has been provided, and in, .which the drains are simultaneously operable, and in which the oscillations ofthe tubs do not operate the dram connections sufli- .ciently to open the-dram valves. It will be appreciated that providing a plurality of tubs in one machine the clothing may be classified, difierent buds of garments need not be mixed and in some instances the garments of different customers need not be mixed; besides different cleansing agents in the different tubs as required.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting otherwise than I claim as my invention: 1. In a machine of the class described,

spaced supports, a cradle having end trunnions journaled in said supports, a tub' seinclined -1ng a valve with an cured to saidcradle, cradle, yoke, and a horizontal gear connected to said shaft andmeans for rotating said gear.

with a notch a yoke pivoted to said an inclined shaft connected to said.

Illinois. 7

s DANIEL BELL.

lurality of may be put 2. In a washing machine, a rockable cradle having an axis of oscillation, a plurality of tubs su ported upon said cradle, said tubs having rain valves in the axis of oscillation anil' means for simultaneously operating said va ves. a

a In a washing machine, a oscillatable r cradle having an axis of rality of tubs upon said cradle, eachtubhavaxis located inthe axis of oscillation of said cradle, arotatable shaft,

operatin mechanism connecting said valves and sha and manually operated means? for actuating said shaft.

. 4. In a washin' machine, a cradle having an axis of oscillation a said cradle, each avlng a drain valve located in said axis of oscillation, an arm on oscillation, a plu- I lurality of tubs upon one valve, a manually operated means includmg an arm adapted for releasably engagin thefirst arm for actuating means connected with said first arm for ac-, tuating the other valves.

said valve, an I ation, each loo 

